With temperatures set to soar across the bank holiday weekend, there is no better time to head to one of the 1,500 beaches lining our coast. As the mercury climbs into the 30s, beach time offers coastal breezes and ocean dips. With so many choices, our travel desk has listed their favourite stretches of sand in the UK, each with unique features, from historic castles to quaint seaside towns with independent coffee shops and boutiques.
The Best UK Beaches
1. Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland
The pristine beach of Bamburgh stretches across one and a half miles, dominated by the imposing Bamburgh Castle, which has overlooked the coast for over 1,400 years. Walks along the beach are never tiresome when the scenery includes a centuries-old royal fortress and views of Holy Island and the Farne Islands. For a bite to eat, several cafes occupy Bamburgh’s stone-front streets, alongside seafood restaurants and gift shops. There are walking routes, such as a local trail to the neighbouring village of Seahouses. The parish council has teamed up with Beach Access North East to provide a free loan service of all-terrain wheelchairs for the beach.
2. Lyme Regis, Dorset
Lyme Regis is known as the Pearl of Dorset, and this gem of a beach is one reason why. Families enjoy a perfectly formed arc of golden sand nestled among cute, multi-coloured beach huts and food stalls serving fresh seafood. After building sandcastles, visitors can stroll around the picturesque harbour—film buffs will recognise the famous Cobb from The French Lieutenant's Woman—and go fossil hunting on a Unesco World Heritage site coastline that contains 185 million years of Earth's history.
3. Lusty Glaze, Cornwall
Among Cornwall's many incredible beaches, this privately owned honey-hued cove stands out. Relatively unknown except to Newquay locals, it offers a great alternative to the wide expanse of Fistral Beach. Lusty Glaze has rollers suitable for beginners and pros, as the summer surf school can attest. Flanked by towering cliffs and pastel-hued beach huts, there is a bar and restaurant where popular Sundowner music sessions are held in summer, featuring acts from Razorlight to Morcheeba and chilled Ibiza-style DJ sessions. The sunsets are particularly special.
4. Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, Northwest Scotland
To be alone and at one with the elements, head for Luskentyre beach on the Isle of Harris. The outer shore of the Outer Hebrides is the raw edge of Britain, where the soundtrack rumbles with the weary roar of an ocean at the end of a 3,000-mile journey. You will find turquoise water of implausible clarity and ice-white sand sculpted into unworldly shapes by the west wind.
5. Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight
This sandy bay lies between Totland and Yarmouth, directly across from Milford on Sea’s Hurst Castle. Beach huts sandwich Colwell’s slipway, with wetsuits, inflatables and deck chairs available to hire during summer. There is also a rainbow of bodyboards for swimmers. Off the sand, enjoy traditional seaside scampi and chips from Captain’s Cabin, or high-end fisherman fare with live music at sailing set favourite, The Hut. Stay late to catch one of the best sunsets on the Solent from this quietly cool swathe in West Wight.
6. Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex
Located at the mouth of the River Cuckmere, this pebble stretch is dominated by the white chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters, which turn the sea a wonderful shade of milky blue. Two ways to reach the beach: park at Seven Sisters Country Park and stroll 30 minutes along a well-laid path beside the river, or park at the top of the hill overlooking Coastguard Cottages (privately owned but occasionally open for garden visits). The latter has less parking and a steep return walk, but the ice cream at the cafe inside the walled garden is a great reward. Check tide times, as you can get cut off, and bring water and snacks, as there are no beach facilities.
7. Whitesands Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Pembrokeshire’s rugged coastline boasts beautiful beaches with sweeping golden sands, dramatic cliffs and wildlife including seals, puffins and porpoises. Whitesands Bay is one of the most popular stretches, with a cafe, car park and lifeguards on duty. It can get crowded in summer, but in winter, when the weather is wild and the beach is dotted with just a few walkers, surfers and horse riders, it is breathtaking in its expanse and scenery. To the north, walk out to St David’s Head or climb Carn Llidi for stunning views of the coastline.
8. Mousehole Harbour Beach, Cornwall
When the tide recedes in the harbour of the fishing village Mousehole (pronounced 'Mow-zuhl'), two enticing beaches appear on either side, offering idyllic sunbathing spots. Children can explore rock pools and swim in clear waters kept calm by the harbour walls. When the tide is in, explore Mousehole's pretty streets and stop for top-tier seafood at the Crab Shack, an outdoor extension of The Old Coastguard restaurant.
9. Jackson's Bay, Barry Island
This golden cove resembles the Costa del Sol more than the South Wales coast and is arguably the best of the five beaches in 'Barrybados'. Tucked around the headland from the bustle of Barry’s Pleasure Park, Jackson’s Bay is a quiet stretch to lay a towel in summer, with a wood-burning barrel sauna—Môr a Sawna—ready to warm those who brave the frigid waters in winter. A clear, gently sloping seabed, snack hut for ice lolly sticks and prime sandcastle real estate make beach days a family affair, dogs included.
10. Ballycastle, County Antrim
This broad beach offers a view of the Mull of Kintyre, the bulky punctuation at the end of Scotland’s Argyll Peninsula. The hills of County Antrim subside into the sea, and beyond the tumbling cliffs, through the mist, stands the Mull. At the end of the day, you can sail across to Campbeltown on the 4.30pm ferry, watching Northern Ireland retreat in your wake.
11. Saunton Sands, Devon
Saunton Sands is known to many as the backdrop of Robbie Williams’ music video for Angels, but for many, it is a staple of childhood trips to Devon. The beach is backed by the expansive Unesco Biosphere reserve, Braunton Burrows, a vast sand dune complex with rare plant and flower species. Hikes to the top of these golden grains take effort, but the views are worth it, and hours of fun can be had with a plastic sledge rushing down the dune. The long three-mile stretch is popular with families, surfers and paddlers due to its shallow surf, though there is no lifeguard service. Food outlets are near the car park, and dogs are welcome all year round.
